The present invention relates to a composite apparatus in which a meter for a vehicle and an obstacle alarm device for a vehicle share a constituting means common to the meter and the obstacle alarm device.
Conventionally, a meter and an obstacle alarm device mounted on a vehicle have an independent circuit construction.
The meter and the obstacle alarm device both have similar circuits. For example, an alarm can be activated while moving the vehicle rearward by switching the speed-change range of an automatic speed-change gear thereof to a reverse range and providing the meter with a buzzer. To give an alarm about an obstacle present rearward from the vehicle in moving the vehicle rearward, the obstacle alarm device is provided with a buzzer. Accordingly, the buzzer and the obstacle alarm device are common in their circuit constructions in that both the meter and the obstacle alarm device are provided with a buzzer.
The meter is provided with an indicator to display a travel distance of the vehicle. Depending on a vehicle, the obstacle alarm device is provided with an indicator to sound an alarm that an obstacle is present when the vehicle moves rearward. Accordingly, the buzzer and the obstacle alarm device are common in their circuit constructions in that both the meter and the obstacle alarm device are provided with an indicator.
The meter and the obstacle alarm device are similar because both the meter and the obstacle alarm device have an electric power supply, an interface circuit, and a microcomputer.
The conventional design in which the obstacle alarm device and the meter have a similar circuit is wasteful, uses a high amount of space, and is costly.
To deal with the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite apparatus in which a meter for a vehicle and an obstacle alarm device for a vehicle share a constituting means common to the meter and the obstacle alarm device.
To solve the above-described problem, there is provided a composite apparatus for a vehicle including a meter (10, 10a, 60, 70, 80, 90) and an obstacle alarm device (20, 21, 30, 30a, 240, 240a) combined with the meter in such a way that the meter and the obstacle alarm device share constituting means (10, 20, 20A, 40, 50, 91, 92, 220, 220a, 230, 230b) constituting a part of the meter.
Because the meter and the obstacle alarm device share a part of the constituting means of the meter, it is unnecessary to provide the obstacle alarm device with constituting means similar to that of the meter. Consequently, the constituting elements are not used wastefully and thus space-saving and cost reduction can be achieved.
The constituting means is at least one of a power source means (220, 220a), an interface means (230 through 230b), a control means (10, 20, 20A), an informing means (91, 92). Thereby, it is possible to achieve the operation and effect of the present invention.
The informing means may be a sounding means (40, 50).
In this case, the composite apparatus includes a vehicle speed detection means (130) for detecting a speed of the vehicle and inputting data of a detected vehicle speed to the interface means; and a reverse range detection means (142) for detecting a reverse range of a speed-change gear mounted on the vehicle and inputting data of a detected reverse range to the interface means. The obstacle alarm device has an obstacle detection means (30) for detecting an approach of a rear part of the vehicle to an obstacle present rearward from the rear part of the vehicle. Upon receipt of an electric power from the power source means, the control means sounds the sounding means, according to an output of the detected vehicle speed sent thereto from the interface means and according to one of the output of the detected vehicle speed sent thereto from the interface means and an output of the detected result sent thereto from the obstacle detection means.
Thereby, because the meter and obstacle alarm device share the sounding means, the sounding means gives a normal alarm in a rearward movement of the vehicle by switching the speed-change range of the automatic speed-change gear to the reverse range and also gives an alarm about an approach of the vehicle to the obstacle in a rearward movement of the vehicle.
The informing means may be a display means (91, 92).
In this case, the composite apparatus for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed detection means (130) for detecting a speed of the vehicle and inputting data of a detected vehicle speed to the interface means; and a travel range detection means (142, 144, 145, 146) for detecting a travel range of a speed-change gear mounted on the vehicle and inputting data of a detected travel range to the interface means. The obstacle alarm device has an obstacle detection means (30, 30a) for detecting an approach of the vehicle to an obstacle. The display means is a travel distance display means (90). Upon receipt of an electric power from the power source means, the control means issues an instruction of displaying a travel distance of the vehicle to the travel distance display means, according to an output of the detected vehicle speed sent thereto from the interface means; and issues an instruction of displaying an approach of the vehicle to the obstacle to the travel distance display means, according to an output of the detected vehicle speed sent thereto from the interface means and according to an output of the detected result sent thereto from the obstacle detection means.
Thereby, because the meter and obstacle alarm device share the travel distance display means, the travel distance display means displays a travel distance in traveling the vehicle by switching the speed-change range of the automatic speed-change gear to the travel range. The travel distance display means also makes an alarm display about an approach of the vehicle to an obstacle.